Top Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

I believe that fear is the best motivator. I believe that people take less time to analyze the logistics of a situation and more time correcting the issue when fear is a factor. I personally have known many levels of fear in my life. Everything from the fear of being hurt when I go to work as a Police Officer, to my little known fear of spiders. When fear takes over a person it drives them in a way most people cannot reach on their own.

I was sitting at a restaurant and bar just the other day when an old girlfriend’s father walked in, I was excited to see him, most likely because I wanted him to see how good my life was; I wanted to brag a bit. As our conversation limped on, he mentioned that he quit smoking and I was shocked. He went on to explain that he tried the patch and the gum as smoking alternatives but it was not till the doctors claimed that he had suffered a mini stroke that his eyes were opened to the immediate danger he was in. He explained to me that the fear of dieing or having another stroke, was so overwhelming that he just quit cold turkey. He said his mind just said no you have to quit and he did. Forty plus years of smoking stopped because of fear. This is just one of many examples of how fear can change a person’s life drastically and dramatically in an instant, while leaving an impression that could possibly last a life time.

No one who lives without fear, whether it be person fear of failure or fear of spiders, everyone lives with fear. It’s what drives curiosity and exploration and independence! I have never met a person who was not scared the first time they has sex, or the first time their parents caught them smoking, or were yelled at by a supervisor at work. Hell, I still get scared when I am asked to go see one of my bosses at work.

Personally there is no greater rush than being afraid, one moment everything is just fine and my world is functioning in its normal M.O. and the next its turned upside down. My heart is racing, and senses are taken to a whole new level. My adrenaline is through the roof. It’s exciting, and frightening all at the same time. I work in Mahoning County, the largest county in the state of Ohio and home to Youngstown. This at one times murder rate was in the top 3 in the U.S. Needless to say it’s not the safest area in the world to live! However being the native I am I find myself at time thinking this place is not so bad. Its times like those where I purposely go and scare myself. Fear gives me a real reality check and I am quickly reminded that I need to stay on top of my game or this day could quickly become my last.

When I am scared or fear something my body, like everyone else’s takes over, it’s a natural human response. Knowing fear and being afraid of what could happen is what I believe is the driving force behind motivation and personal growth.

Essay of the Week

A chance encounter in a coffee shop introduced writer Rachel Richardson to a man who had many stories to tell. Ms. Richardson came to understand that everyone has a story, and our lives can be enriched by listening to the stories of others.Click here to read her essay.